This invention relates to a packaged terminal air conditioner and, in particular, to apparatus for distributing condensate produced by the indoor evaporator over the surface of an condenser.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,812 to Bushnell et al., a window air conditioning unit is described in which the indoor section of the unit is separated from the outdoor section by a dividing partition. Each section contains a heat exchanger and a fan for moving air over the heat exchanger surfaces. The indoor heat exchanger serves as an evaporator and the outdoor unit serves as a condenser. As explained in this patent, condensate produced by the evaporator is brought under the influence of the outdoor fan which, in turn, distributes the condensate over the outdoor heat exchanger to enhance the efficiency of the condenser.
The outdoor fan and the outdoor heat exchanger described in the Bushnell patent both are enclosed within a housing. The housing has a circular opening in a front wall adjacent the fan through which air is drawn in to the housing. A restricted passage is provided in the lower part of the housing through which condensate is permitted to enter the housing. The outdoor fan is provided with a slinger ring and is arranged to pick up the condensate that is drawn into the housing through the restricted passage. It has been found, however, that under certain operating conditions, condensate is prevented from entering the housing through the restrictive opening or the rate of flow through the opening is restricted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve air conditioning systems.
A further object of the present invention is to increase the efficiency of an air conditioning system by enhancing the distribution of condensate over the heat exchanger surfaces of the system evaporator coil.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for promoting the free flow of condensate into a housing that encloses the outdoor fan and outdoor heat exchanger of an air conditioning system.
Another object of the present invention is to optimize the size and shape of an orifice for delivering condensate into a housing that encloses the outdoor fan and outdoor heat exchanger of an air conditioning system.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained in an air conditioning system having an indoor section containing a fan and a heat exchanger and an outdoor section also containing a fan and a heat exchanger. The unit includes a housing which encloses both the outdoor fan and the outdoor heat exchanger. The housing includes a front wall that is located adjacent to the outdoor fan. The front wall contains a circular opening through which air is drawn into the unit and distributed over the outdoor heat exchanger surface. An orifice is located in the lower part of the front wall and a flow channel is arranged to bring condensate to the entrance of the orifice. The size and shape of the orifice is matched to the pressure differential over the fan so that it is quickly drawn into the housing. A reservoir is located behind the orifice that serves to deliver the condensate to a point under the fan so that the condensate is picked up by the slinger and distributed over the heat exchanger.